Perform or else - Labor's contract for candidates

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Labor's search for an image more appealing to the new
entrepreneurial class has taken an unexpected turn.

It will introduce performance-based contracts for all its future
candidates standing for election.

Labor's ruling body, the national executive, will also insist
that all party campaign officials enter performance contracts.

After its meeting yesterday, it seems the party that the
Government says is too close to trade unions is suddenly borrowing
techniques from big business.

The performance contracts are part of a plan to ensure Labor
fields higher-quality candidates at the next election, after the
party's devastating election defeat. But if the contracts are
broken, the candidates will not be dumped during an election
campaign. Rather, they will be questioned and counselled, the party
president, Carmen Lawrence, said.

Candidates will be chosen earlier and selected partly on how
active they are in their communities. The Coalition's most
successful backbenchers have strong community links and it has
criticised Labor for favouring party professionals or union
officials.

Labor has conducted a review of what went wrong in the election
and the executive has made more than 50 recommendations, covering
the party's private polling, advertising, candidates, election
strategy and relations between the campaign committee and leader
Mark Latham's office.

The review found that Labor's election advertising was "far too
polite" and in future should hit hard to refute Coalition ads.

The party has cancelled all contracts for advertising, polling
and other campaign resources while they are being scrutinised.

Mr Latham addressed yesterday's meeting and took responsibility
for weaknesses in the campaign. Despite doubts from some of his
colleagues about his abilities, the meeting affirmed him as
leader.